Tribulations, Triumphs...and Traci

Scarcely, if ever do aging educators draw upon their years in the classroom to share some of their fondest and most endearing experiences and recollections. This report is an attempt to do that very thing. It is a story about one student who made a lifelong impact on her sixth grade teacher.
This story began in the Fall of 1969 as the doors of the new grade school were opened for the first year of "open space" education. This, as the parents and students soon discovered, meant few doors and almost no permanent classroom divisions. Since nearly all the students came from self contained classrooms, the first year was quite an adjustment for all. Grades 1 and 2 occupied a Pod, grades 3 and four a Pod, and grades 5 and 6 a Pod. Kindergarten was, however, in a stand alone classroom. The "Pods" as they were called surrounded the Media Center(library). There was a nice gymnasium, a satisfactory lunchroom, and a very spacious playground. That first year the teachers were told the enrollment for the entire school would be just under 200 students. So much for student forecasts, that first year saw just over 290 students flow through the doors. At the time of school opening the carpet had not been laid and lo and behold "NO" textbooks were available for several weeks.
Yes that was the beginning for Traci, who at the time was a third grade student. Tracy came from a family of nine children. Dennis and Lou, the parents, were both educated at the University of Minnesota. They provided a very supportive educational background for each of the children. Unfortunately only about half of their progeny were able to attend that grade school. Traci was fortunate in that she was able to spend four years there and had the dubious honor to have a male sixth grade teacher. This story was written by that sixth grade teacher 39 years after that first year of the grade school. Regrettably the school did not survive as the building was razed a few years ago. However, it was the hope of that teacher that all the students would, at some time, reflect upon those years of the school's existence. Hopefully most of those ruminations would be happy ones. In the mind of the former teacher, his seven years at that elementary institution, were joyous and most memorable during good times as well as some of the tribulations!!! Traci appeared to enjoy most experiences at the school. She was seldom absent, never tardy, and a treat to have shared the same classroom with a young educator. Also to her credit, she was an outstanding example for hard work and studious behavior.
As third grader it was never unexpected to see Traci show up for school dressed in overalls and a tee shirt. She kept her hair cut trimmed reasonably short with bangs that just covered her eyebrows. Her eyes were blue green and those days she allowed someone to look directly into those orbs, it was amazing to behold the beauty of her gaze. Most of the time she preferred to display the persona of a dyed-in-wool "tomboy". In fact she was comfortable with competing with boys her size and even bigger. She was hell-on-wheels when came to playing tether ball and kickball. She dominated both sports while in grade school. In the classroom what she lacked in mental talent, she made up for with drive and hard work. Her handwriting was good and most all of her paperwork was neat and organized. Ornery describe her daily demeanor, however, she was never a bully or malicious to other students while she attended school. She was always competitive, but never a bad loser. Besides those "dynamite eyes", her smiles were often, long lasting, a joy to behold! Her sense of humor was great even though she blushed often when teased by her sixth grade teacher.
Even though she demonstrated a roughneck exterior skin, deep down she was rather sensitive and compassionate to a flaw. She loved pets and most all other animals she came to be around. She was just a great youngster and she seldom wavered from demonstrating the qualities of a good up bringing, honesty, and concern for the well being of others. She could take as well as dish out the teasing that grade school kids so often demonstrate. She always stood up for herself and never was short to voice her feelings on most issues as it encompassed her personal world.
Only once did her sixth grade teacher crack that tomboy facade. This took place just before Halloween. It had become a tradition for the teacher, on or just before Halloween, to darken the room and read the poem "The Bones of Old Jeff Cobb". To enhance the reading of this somewhat ghoulish work, Traci's teacher passed around different body parts of animals that he had acquired from a friend who owned and operated a meat market. The sixth graders, brassy as they tried to be when all of this took place, were given over to fear almost immediately when they were passed an eye or an ear, enclosed in a small plastic bag, from their teacher. It should be pointed out that each student made the decision to participate or not. The room was pitch black except for one or two candles, and the teacher did his best to use a low and fearful tone of voice while reading the poem and passing the body parts. The reality of this event was to scare the "bajooby" out of Traci and most every one her classmates. This was demonstrated when, not even half way through the poem, Traci bolted the room having screamed as she headed for the exit! However, one ornery deed is reciprocated in kind sometime in the future. Traci had to wait for her payback until the final day of school her sixth grade year. She and a good fiend, on the pretense of helping the sixth grade teacher clean and organize the classroom for the summer vacation, stayed after the other students were dismissed for the summer. Knowing full well their teacher always had a cup of coffee close at hand, lingered for the right opportunity to spike the coffee with salt. It wasn't long when their teacher excused himself and left the room just long enough to do the deed. Upon his return to the room both students shot a glance at the clock and remarked that they needed to get home at once. The teacher, totally unaware of their treachery, thanked them for their help and wished them a good summer as they left the room. Little did he realize they hid just outside the room to see if their bitter tasting trap would be sampled. It wasn't long until they heard the gag following a big sip of the dark brown liquid by their teacher. Like missiles from a launch pad, they rocketed from the building to elude what they were sure would have been a punishment close to torture. Instantly the teacher realized the deception and why Traci and her friend had remained to help. He laughed to himself and deep down felt a certain pride in the fact that these 12 year olds stood up for themselves and the payback was in the form of a great sham!!!
Traci moved on to junior high school and her former teacher saw her few times over next few years. She would, on occasion, stop by on her way home from school and say "Hi". Shortly there after her erstwhile sixth grade teacher left West Antioch to go to Eat Antioch for a year and then on to Oak Park Elementary. It was by chance that her former teacher accepted the opportunity to coach volleyball, that their paths would cross daily. Her sixth grade teacher got the job of coaching girls volleyball at Traci's junior high school. While there he added Traci and her cohort in the "coffee crime" to the ninth grade roster. Both girls performed admirably. Neither of the girls were outstanding players, but their coach never doubted their efforts on the court.
Following her ninth grade year Traci and her family made two different moves as the result of her father pursuing job opportunities. They moved to Missouri first and then to Montana. It was there Traci graduated from both high school and college. Once she came returned to the Kansas City area to attend her sister's graduation from nursing school. To the joy of her former teacher she spent another week in his home before returning to Montana.
When Traci started college she had her cap set upon becoming a veterinarian. In a letter to her sixth grade teacher she expressed some doubt in her ability to completed the courses to get a degree in veterinary science. Instead she switched to a nursing curriculum and graduated with a bachelors degree. Her former teacher was so proud of her!!
During her college years Traci's former teacher had left education and had moved to Denver Colorado. To his astonishment one clear day in March of 1987, Tracy showed up on his front porch. To his delight she had taken a job with a local hospital and was going to pursue a masters degree in nursing. This would be the last time they would spend time together.
Over the next few years they spoke on the phone on numerous occasions. It wasn't long before Traci became engaged to and married a fine hard working young lad. Unfortunately, due to some health issues, her former teacher was unable to attend the wedding. The years have passed and neither Traci nor her teacher have had contact. Some day they will speak again and that time won't come soon enough for her former teacher.
Through the tribulations of growing, learning and becoming a very useful person to her profession, Traci was one student, her teacher, was so proud of and was always honored knowing in some small measure, he contributed to some of her triumphs. The real truth was that Traci's former teacher given the opportunity, would adopted her in a heartbeat!!!
This story remains unfinished. Just this day the author made contact with Traci. She is currently working at Children's Hospital in the Denver Area. She now as two young daughters and she living but a long stone's throw from her old mentor. As Paul Harvey says so often on his radio broadcasts "I'll be back with the rest of the story". The Tribulations, Triumphs, ....and Traci are far from completion!